IBPS PO Prelims English Section Practice Set

IBPS PO Prelims English Section Practice Set 

Directions (Q. 1-10): read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrase has been printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the question.

Once upon a time a dishonest king had a man call the valuer in his court. The Valuer set the price which ought to be paid for horses and elephants and the other animals. He also set the price on jewellery and gold, and things of the kind. This man was honest and just, and set the proper price to be paid to the owners of the goods. The kings, however, were not pleased with this Valuer, because he was honest, “If I had another sort of a man as Valuer, I might gain more riches, “he thought.

One day the king saw a stupid, miserly peasant come into the palace yard. The king sent for the fellow and asked him if he would like to be the Valuer. The peasant said he would like the position. So the king had him made Valuer. He sent the honest Valuer away from the palace.

Then the peasant began to set the prices on horses and elements, upon gold and jewels. He did not know their value, so he would say anything he chose. As the king had made him Valuer, the people had to sell their goods for the price he set. By and by a horse-dealer brought five hundred horses to the court of this king. The Valuer came and said they were worth a mere measure of rice. So the king ordered the horse’s dealer to be given measure of rice. So the king ordered the horse put in the palace stables.

The horse-dealer went then to see the honest man who had been the Valuer, and told him what had happened. “What shall I do ?” asked the horse-dealer. “I think you can give a present to the Valuer which will make him do and say what you want him to do and say,” said the man. “Go to him and give him a fine present, then say to him: “You said the horses are worth a measure of rice, but now tell what a measure of rice is worth! Can you value that standing in your place by the king?’. If he says he can, go with him to the king, and I will be there too.’

The horse-dealer thought this was a good idea. So he took a fine present to the Valuer, and said what the other man had told him to say. The stupid Valuer took the present, and said: “Yes, I can go before the king with you and tell us go at once,” said the horse-dealer. So they went before the king and his ministers in the palace

The horse-dealer bowed down before the king, and said: “O King, I have learned that a measure of rice is the value of my five hundred horses. But will the king be pleased to ask the Valuer what is the value of the measure of rice”? The king, not knowing what had happened, asked, “How now, Valuer, what are five hundred horses worth”? “A measure of rice, O king!” said he. “Very good, then ! If five hundred horses are worth a measure of rice, what is the measure of rice worth?” The measure of rice is worth your whole city, “replied the foolish fellow.

The ministers clapped their hands, laughing, and saying “What a foolish Valuer! How can such a man hold that office? We used to think this great city was beyond price, but this man says it is worth only a measure of rice. “Then the king was ashamed, and drove out the finish fellow. “I tried to please the king by setting a low price on the horses, and now see what has happened to me !” said, the Valuer, as he ran away from the laughing crowd.

1. Who did the King appoint as the new Valuer?
1) A minister
2) A horse merchant
3) Himself
4) A stingy peasant
5) None of these

 

2. Why was the King not happy with the old Valuer?
1) As the Valuer was not good at his work
2) As he had dishonoured the King
3) As the Valuer had been dishonest with the King about the prices that he set for goods
4) As the King believed that he was not earning much because of the Valuer’s honesty
5) None of these

 

3. Which of the following words can be used to describe the King?
A) Smart
B) Dishonest
C) Cheat
1) Only A
2) Only B
3) Only B and C
4) Only A and C
5) All the three A, B, C

 

4. What can possibly be the moral of the story?
1) Slow and steady wins the race
2) Change is the only permanent thing in life
3) An honest answer is the sign of true friendship
4) Haste makes waste
5) No legacy is so rich as honesty

 

5. Why did the Ministers laugh at the new Valuer?
1) As he had sold the King’s city at a very low price
2) As they had displayed his stupidity by quoting a abysmally low price on the King’s city
3) As he had cheated the horse-dealer
4) As he had not calculated the price of the five hundred horses correctly
5) None of these

 

6. What did the new Valuer do when he got the present from the horse-dealer?
1) He accepted the present and resigned from his post as was requested by the horse-dealer
2) He accepted the present and agreed to state the worth of a measure of rice
in the presence of the king
3) He accepted the present and immediately returned the horse-dealers horses
4) He refused to accept the present from the horse dealer and asked him to leave the premises.
5) None of these

 

Directions (Q. 7-8): Choose the word/ group of words which is most similar in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.

7. MERE
1) much
2) feeble
3) costly
4) large
5) meagre

 

 

8. Gain
1) Profit
2) Sell
3) Acquire
4) Money
5) Result

 

 

Directions (Q. 9-10): Choose the word/group of words which is most opposite in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in the passage.
9. PLEASE
1) annoy
2) wrong
3) request
4) satisfy
5) force

 

 

10. STUPID
1) majestic
2) intelligent
3) bold
4) angry
5) dunce

 

 

Directions (Q. 11-15): Rearrange the following six sentences A, B, C, D, E and F in the proper sequence to form a meaningful paragraph; then answer the questions given below them

A. The woodcutter thankfully broke off from work and sat down to eat the delicious meal that his wife had sent for him.
B. He was in a good mood that particular morning and soon started singing as he swung his axe at the log of wood in front of him.
C. After he had eaten his meal and taken rest for a while the woodcutter got back to work.
D. The hours passed and the sun became hotter than ever and very soon perspiration started breaking out on the woodcutter’s hands and face.
E. One hot summer’s morning a woodcutter was hard at work, chopping wood into small piece, so that he could sell them in the market.
F. As it neared afternoon, his wife sent their little son to him with food for the afternoon.

11. Which of the following should be the FOURTH sentence after rearrangement?
1) F
2) E
3) D
4) C
5) B

 

 

12. Which of the following should be the FIRST sentence after rearrangement?
1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D
5) E

 

 

13. Which of the following should be the SECOND sentence after rearrangement?
1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D
5) F

 

 

14. Which of the following should be the LAST (SIXTH) sentence after
rearrangement?
1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D
5) E

 

 

15. Which of the following should be the THIRD sentence after rearrangement?
1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D
5) E

 

 

Directions (Q. 16-20): Which of the phrases 1,2,3 and 4 given below each sentence should replace the phrase printed in bold in the sentence to make it grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is given and no correction is required, mark 5 as the answer.

16. As it was already afternoon, Rohan decided to check out of the hotel and go home.
1) for checking out
2) to check out
3) to check outing
4) to checked out
5) No correction required

 

 

17. Five people which ignored an evacuation order were trapped in a mountain region encircled by a wildfire.
1) who ignored an
2) those ignoring an
3) who ignores a
4) that ignored a
5) No correction required

 

 

18. Since she was the most popular model on the ramp, she thought no end to herself.
1) no ending to herself
2) no ends of herself
3) no end of herself
4) no end with herself
5) No correction required

 

 

19. The actress says that she is not comfortable walk into the ramp in designer wear.
1) to walks on
2) walking down
3) walking with
4) walks to
5) No correction required

 

 

20. Not many bank on the power of realism and comedy to make an impression and so, when one does, it makes head turns.
1) making heads turn
2) make head turnings
3) making heads turning
4) makes heads turn
5) No correction required

 

 

Directions (Q. 21-30): In the following passage there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These numbers are printed below the passage and against each, five words are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately. Find out the appropriate word in each case.

There was once a gardener who (21) care of the King’s garden. In the garden, lived a family of monkeys. Seeing the gardener at work, the monkeys soon (22) to imitate him. As the gardener tended the plants and weeded and watered the garden, he was amused to see that the monkeys also did (23) what he did. The gardener was happy that he had so much unpaid help. One day the gardener wanted to (24) a fair in the city. He had an idea. He called the chief of the monkeys and said to him, “I have to go out for the day. Can you and your family water my plants like you (25) do? I promise you that if you help me I will (26) sweets for you from the fair”. The monkeys agreed. But after the gardener had left, they had a (27). How much water were they to pour for each plant? Then one of them said. “For plants with big roots, we must pour (28) of water and for the ones with small roots, we pour only a little water. “So, the monkey’s (29) out each plant and then pushed it back again after looking at the root. As a result, many plants (30) and died. On his return, the gardener realized that he had been very foolish to trust a bunch of mere monkeys to do his job.

21.
1) took
2) was
3) great
4) handle
5) mended

 

 

22.
1) try
2) told
3) were
4) bent
5) learnt

 

 

23.
1)main
2) exactly
3) many
4) because
5) too

 

 

24.
1)call
2) make
3) stall
4) go
5) visit

 

 

25.
1)forcefully
2) hardly
3) usually
4) costly
5) truly

 

 

26.
1) ask
2) bring
3) got
4) throw
5) create

 

 

27.
1) party
2) time
3) answer
4) doubt
5) water

 

 

28.
1) body
2) many
3) lots
4) weight
5) quantity

 

 

29.
1) thrashed
2) saw
3) stick
4) pulled
5) splashed

 

 

30.
1) withered
2) crushed
3) killed
4) grew
5) smiled

 

Answers :

Question No	Answer	Question No	Answer
1	4	16	5
2	4	17	1
3	2	18	3
4	5	19	2
5	2	20	4
6	2	21	1
7	5	22	5
8	3	23	2
9	1	24	5
10	2	25	3
11	1	26	2
12	5	27	4
13	2	28	3
14	3	29	4
15	4	30	1